What it seems to be
An invitation.
What it really is
The way many Italians approach the rest of the world.
Italians love travelling.
They leave out of curiosity, for work or for pleasure.
They visit distant cities, photograph monuments and discover new landscapes.
But they often do something curious.
They immediately look for something that reminds them of home.
An espresso.
A pizza.
An Italian restaurant.
A supermarket that sells Parmesan.
After a few days, one sentence almost inevitably arrives.
“Però da noi...”
It is not only about food.
It applies to coffee.
Bread.
Schedules.
The way people have lunch.
Even the way they cross the road.
The Italian observes the world, but rarely stops comparing it with their own.
A foreigner might interpret this as provincialism.
Partly, it can be.
But there is something else too.
Italy is made up of deeply rooted everyday habits.
So deeply rooted that they become invisible.
You realise you have them only when they disappear.
That is why many Italians, rather than allowing themselves to be completely transformed by the place they visit, unconsciously try to transform a small corner of that place into something familiar.
The key to understanding it
An Italian does not travel with just a suitcase. They carry their way of life with them.
And wherever they are, they always try, at least a little, to feel...
as if they were at home.